Folding door



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FOLDING DOOR Filed May 2l, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 an ggcl. 2:3 f a@ as 35 I Taf I mi C J Patente-d Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PMENT OFFICE f FOLDING DOOR Benjamin J. Triller, Dubuque, Iowa. Application May 21, 1929. Serial No. 364,780`

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in folding doors, and especially to doors of this type for use with garages or the like.

`It has been customary heretofore, to provide folding garage doors, thesections of which swing on vertical hinges. It has also been proposed to provide folding doors whose sections move on horizontal hinges.` However, garage doors as a general proposition, regardless of the type, are not storm and weather proof, but they are usually loosely mounted, with cracks of various sizes occurring between the door and the frame, so thatit ispractically impossible to keep the garage properly heated in cold weather, due to these cracks.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a door structure which'will overcome these disadvantages, and one with which Weather strips may be used for making the door practically weather tight. i

Another object is to provide a door structure for garages or the like, including superposed sections which swing on horizontal hinge pintles, so that the door when in open position, will have its sections folded and arranged at the top of the door frame.

A further object is to provide a door of this character, having improved means for locking the same to the door frame.

Another object is to furnish a folding garage door having means for automatically folding thev sections, such means being so combined with the door locking mechanism that the operator,` at the time of unlocking the door, may simultaneously cause the door opening means to come into play.

Another object is to provide a garage door in which any warping of the wood portions of the same will be automatically compensated for, so that the door may expand vertically without interfering with either the weather proof qualities of the door, or the `opening and closing of the door. i i

Another` object is to `furnish `a folding door for garages or the like, including'means for au-` tomatically securing the doorsections in folded relation.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other `objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds; .the` invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described? in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed `out in the appended claims. i

Referring to the drawings,

i Fig. 1 is. aninterlorgelevation ofthe improved door, and the frame tracks with which it cotion.

Fig.` 3 is a similar View, but showing the door at about the beginning of its opening movement.

Fig. 4 is a section along thejsame line, but showing the top and middle section folded and in raised position, and with the bottom section ready to be swung upwardly into folded position.,

Fig. 5 is a like view with all of the sections folded andin their uppermost positions.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the top portion of one of the door tracks, and showing the position occupied by one of the rollers of the top section of the door, when the door is in closed position. i Fig. 7 is a similar view,` but showing the position of the roller when the door is in the position shown in Fig. 3. Y

Fig. 8 is a sectional View on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6. v f

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Figs. 6 and 7, but showing the door sections infolded position.

Fig. 10iis a vertical sectional view of a detail, to illustrate the means by which the raising weight is connected to the lower section of the door.

Fig. 11 `is a similar View,` but taken at right angles to Fig. 10. Y

' Fig. 12 is an elevation, `partly in vertical section, and showing the manner in which one of the rollers at the lower end of the middle section of the door cooperates with one of the tracks.

Fig. 13 isa horizontal sectionaliview'on the Fig. 14 is an enlarged elevation, partly in vertical section, and showing a part of the locking means for the door.

Fig. 15 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 15-15 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 16 isan edge view of the lower portion of the bottom section of the door. Y y

Fig.\17 is an enlarged exterior elevation of the middle section of the door, and showing the lock, and the means for actuating the door bolts.

Fig. 18 is a vertical sectional View on the line 18-18 of Fig. 17. i

Fig. 19 is a view similar to Fig. 17,but viewed from the opposite side of the door.

Fig. 20 is an interior elevation of a fragment of the invention. Y

In the drawings, 20 and 20' respectively indicate the side and topbarsof the door frame of a garage or the like, which frame, for the purposes of the present invention, is provided with a pair of vertical tracks 2l which are secured to the inner edges ofthe side bars 20 of the frame or to supplemental side bars 22 of the frame, by any suitable means, such as screws 23, which may be inserted through holes 24 in the tracks. Each track is of substantially tubular construction, and the wall of the same adjacent the edge of the door, (indicated in its entirety by the reference 25), is provided with a vertical slot 26 that may extend throughout the length of the track.

As best shown in Figs. 6, 7, 3 and 9, each track is provided near its upper end with spaced abutment sleeves 27 that are preferably mounted on long screws 28 which pass entirely through the roller 34 which is located within the track andl is adapted to move upwardly and downwardly between the abutment sleeves 27. When the door is closed, the roller 34 occupies the position shown in Figs. 6 rand 8, but as soon as the door starts to open, the roller drops down on to the lower one of the sleeves 27, and it remains in this position while the door is being folded. Of course, a construction of this character is arranged at each side edge of the upper portion of the door.

The top section 29 of the door, as well the middle section 35 and bottom section 36, is formed of top and bottom cross rails 37 and 33, and side and intermediate stiles 39. Each of the rails 37 and 38 extends the full width ofthe door with the grain of the wood running lengthwise thereof, so that rthere will be no expansion laterally,-but all expansion will be vertically. Consequently, there will no binding of the side edgesof the door against the frame, and any expansion vertically will be allowed by the roller 34 moving upwardly between the abutment sleeves 27. l

The lower edge of the top section 29 is rabbeted as shown at 40, so as to interflt with the rabbeted upper edge 4l of the middle section 35` to which the upper section-is pivotally connected by hinges 42 which permit these door sections to fold inwardly.

Each side edge of the middle section 35 is provided at its lower end with a bracket 43 that is secured to the middle section by screws 44 or the like, and these brackets carry stub lshafts 45 which project through the slots 26, and carry rollers 46 that are positioned within the tracks, and are spaced outwardly from the lower edge 47 of the middle section.

At this'- point, attention is directed to the spacing of the rollers 34 and 4 6 awayfrom the edges 32 and 47 respectively of the door sections29 and`35. Due to this construction, it vwill be understood that as soon as the door starts to fold, these edges will immediately znove away from the side bars 20 or supplemental sidel bars 22 and top bar 20 of the door frame, and consemay be maintained in weather proof Contact with the door frame parts despite frequent operations of the door.

As best shown in Fig. 9, each of the tracks is provided interiorly with a spring catch each referably made of a strip or leaf of resilient metal, and suspended from one of the screws 28. These catches cooperate with the rollers 46, whereby, when the upper and middle sections are folded, the rollers 46 will come into engage ment with the catches, and the catches will act to hold these sections in their folded condition.

It is preferred to arrange within each track, a coiled spring 50. These springs function as buffers for the wheels 46, and they depend from the lower abutment sleeves 27.

The lower edge of the middle section, and the upper edge of the lower section are rabbeted so as to overlap, and these sections are pivotally connected by hinges 5l which allow the lower section 36 to be swung upwardly into parallel relation with the sections 29 and 35, after the latter have been folded.

The lower section is also provided with brackets 52 that are secured to its side edges by screws 53, and these srackets carry stub shafts 54, on which rollers 55 are journaled. These rollers also work the tracks, and they are not positioned below the bottom edge 56 of the bottom section.

In order to fold the bottom section, it is necessary that the rollers 55 be permitted to leave the tracks, and consequently, each track is provided with a transverse slot or gateway 57 which communicates with the slot 26, and is located at such an elevation as to permit departure of the rollers f 55, from the tracks, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4.

rihe door may be automatically elevated and folded by any suitable means, but it is preferred to employ the construction which will now be upper ends 63 of the guides 58, and as soon as L the middle section 35 is forced inwardly slightly, as shown in Fig. 3, the weights 62 will-act to raise the bottom section 36 vertically, and to fold the sections 29 and 35 into the positions shown in Fig.

4. When the parts reach these positions, the if rollers 55 are in alignment with the gate slots 57, and then, if the operator strikes the lower end of the section 36 to swing the same inwardly, the pulleys 59 will ride along the guides 58 and in this way, the counter-weights will function to fold the bottom section after the folding movement has been initiated by the operator.

To facilitate the closing of the door, the bottorn section may be provided with a pull chain 64.

In addition to the weather strips 48 on the frame, the inner surface of the bottom section may be provided at its lower end with a weather strip 65 which will cooperate with the garage iioor 66 to render the door weather proof. f

While various means may be used for locking the door in closed position, it is preferred to employ the following means, which has been designed especially for this particular door. The middle section 35 has secured to the inner side of its opposite end portions, two casings 70, which support 40 the structure will remain weather proof indefijoined at V75 to a common pull chain 76 which has itslower end connected to a rotatable `disk 77.

[This disk is preferably iixedly mounted on'the V'rests in a depression 80 in a face plate 81, that is trnint'er-sunk"inV the outer surface of the middle section. The disk may be locked by means Vof a sliding bolt 82 whichenters a notch 83 ofthe disk, 'andthis bolt is preferably controlled by a suitable key actuated lock 84`which extends through the door. i

When theparts are in locked position, the point of connection of the disk` 7,7 to the chain 76 is at thetop of the disk, 'and after the bolt 82 has been thrown, the operator, from the exterior of the door, may turn the handle 79. This will cause the disk 77 to rotate and pull the chain 76 downwardly, so as to withdraw the bolts 71 from the 5 slots 26. At this point, it will be noted that the handle 79 is positioned near the center ofthe middle section of the door, so that immediately the bolts have been thrown, the operator, by pressing inwardlyon the middle section 35, institutes the folding or opening of the door, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Of course, the weights 62 then move the door sections .into the position shown in Fig. 4, and as the parts come into this position, the rollers 46 of the middle section engage the spring latches 49 to hold the sections 29 and 35 folded, while the lower section 36 is moving from the Fig. 4 position to the Fig. 5 position.

It will be appreciated from the above description, that this improved door will be dependable in action, warping will be compensated for, and

nitely.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understood, and it is manifest .f that changes may be made in the details disclosed,

without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in theV claims. l

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A garage door structure or the like, comprising a frame provided with vertically disposed tracks, a door hinged at its upper end to the upper end of the frame and comprising hingedly connected sections adapted to fold into Zig-Zag o formation and having guide members operating in the tracks, the door` being so formed as to expand and contract vertically, but to prevent any expansion and contraction horizontally the hinge at the upper end of the door being verf tically displaceable to accommodate vertical expansion and contraction.

2. A door structure for garages or the like, including a frame provided with vertically disposed tracks, superposed door sections hingedly .Y connected together and having guide elements cooperating with said tracks, the top portion of each track being provided with spaced upper and lower abutments which cooperate with the guide elements of the top section of the door to limit the movement of the guide elements of the top section of the door, the guide elements of the top section being spaced from the upper and lower abutments when the door is closed.

3. A door structure for garages or the like, in-

cludilng a frame, vertically disposed `slotted tracks mounted on the frame,` latchv elements on the tracks, a `door comprisingsuperposed hingedly connected sections,said sections having guide elements cooperating with the tracks, certain of said: guide elements adapted to engage said' latches Ifor holding some of the sections in raised andfolded position. 4. A door structure for garages or the like, including a frame provided with vertically disposed slotted tracks, a door comprising superposed sections hingedly connected together, brackets' mounted on the sections and having guide `elements engaging the tracks, `and latches in the tracks, the guide elements of one of said sections being adapted to engage said latches for holding certain of the sections in raised-and folded position.

5. A door structure for garages or the like, as claimed in claim 4, including buffers mounted in the tracks and cooperating with the guide elements which engage said latches.

6. A door structure for garages or the like, in-

cluding a frame, vertically disposed tracksV mounted on the frame, a door hinged at its upper end to said tracks and comprising superposed sections hingedly connected together, guide elements on the sections cooperating with the tracks, the guide elements of the bottom section being positioned adjacent to the lower edge of said section and gateways in the tracks to permit the guide elements of the bottom section of the door to disengage the tracks when the bottom section is in its highest vertical position and thus allow the lower edge of the bottom section to move away from said tracks.

7. A door structure for garages or the like, including a frame provided with vertically disposed slotted tracks, a door in the frame having its upper end hinged to the upper end of the frame and comprising superposed sections hingedly connected together to fold into zig-zag formation, certain of said sections being provided with guide members which extend through the slots and cooperate with the tracks, and means for automatically raising and folding certain of said sections after said sections have been moved into a position at obtuse angles to each other the guide members of other of the door sections disengaging said tracks during door opening movement to permit the last mentioned door section to fold compactly under the rst mentioned sections.

8. A door structure for garages or the like, including a frame,` provided with vertically disposed slotted tracks, a door comprising superposed hingedly connected sections having guide elements extending through the slots and cooperating with the tracks, a guide mounted on the bottom section of the door, a pulley cooperating Vwith the last mentioned guide, and means cooperating with the last mentioned pulley for raising the door sections and for folding certain of said sections.

9. A door structure as claimed in `claim 8, in which. the tracks are pro-vided with gateways to permit the guide elements of the bottom section of the door to swing out of said tracks, said pulley being adapted to move along said guide when the bottom section is swung into folded position.

10. The combination with a supporting structure having a door opening, of a door hingedly supported adjacent its upper edge to the supmeans slidably connecting the lower edge portion of the bottom section to the supporting struc- 'structure when the joint between said next adjacent section and the section thereabove is broken.

11. The combination with a supporting structure having a door opening, of a door hingedly supported adjacent its upper edge to the supporting structure and comprising sections, pivot means slidably and releasably connecting the lower edge portion ofthe bottom section to the supporting structure, the lower section being hinged adjacent its upper edge portion to the next adjacent section adjacent the lower edge portion of the latter, said next adjacent section being hinged to the section thereabove and these two sections breaking joint away from the supporting structure where they are hinged together, and means carried by and extending downwardly beyond the lower edge of the next adjacent section into pivotal and sliding connection with the supporting structure to swing the said lower section upon its pivot means away from the supporting structure when the joint between said next adjacent section and the section thereabove is broken.

BENJAMIN J. TRILLER. 

